Design • 15 September, 2020 • 8 min read
Sustainable Home Decor Ideas You Need To Try This Fall
These sustainable home decor ideas will help make your home more eco-friendly, and are perfect to try out as you begin to redecorate your space for a new season. Here are four ways to keep things green whilst you’re at it.
By Edvin BrobeckSustainable Home Decor Ideas You Need To Try This Fall
These sustainable home decor ideas will help make your home more eco-friendly, and are perfect to try out this fall as you begin to redecorate your space for the season. Whether you’re decorating from scratch, or switching up a few accessories, here are four ways to keep things green whilst you’re at it.
IDEA ONE
Buy fewer decor items, but choose better
A good rule of thumb for upgrading your furniture or decor pieces is to buy fewer, but better.
We are all guilty of the odd impulse purchase, but asking yourself whether you actually need or have a place for this item vs. just having it cluttering your room, is a good place to start.
Picking out timeless designs is another good way to shop decor smarter. Choosing pieces that never go out of style will make you less likely to want to switch it out anytime soon. Even better, get to know your own style. Sure, this may change, but investing in a key piece of furniture that you know suits your taste means you’ll be able to cherish it for the long term.
Buying better also means looking to buy local. Buying furniture and décor locally means that you not only cut down on emissions from the shipping process, but also gives you the chance to help support small businesses too.
Sustainably sourced materials
It can also be a good strategy to do some research and look for companies that are focused on sustainable materials, fair trade practices, and ethical labor standards. Investing in high quality, sustainably produced pieces will also help to ensure longevity, making your decor feel fresh for years to come.
IDEA TWO
Shop sustainable, shop second-hand
However, probably the simplest way to positively impact the environment is to avoid buying new all together.
Vintage furniture and homeware is so chic, and you can often find super unique pieces that you wouldn’t be able to find elsewhere. Second hand-pieces are also often cheaper, so you can keep your wallet, as well as the world, in mind.
Buying second-hand or vintage cuts out often harmful production processes, and more unique not-off-the-shelf shapes can prompt you to check if your decor really fits in your space. This way, you can be sure that you are using your space in the most efficient way possible too.
Want to learn more about shopping habits and going plastic free? Check out our July Guestwriter Eileen’s tips for a more sustainable lifestyle here.
IDEA THREE
Don’t replace, repurpose
Old furniture pieces looking tired or worn out? Repurpose where you can.
For example, re-upholster your soft furnishings. This is usually way cheaper than paying full price for something new, and means that you don’t have to say goodbye to your favorite couch, just because it’s looking a little shabby round the edges.
Don’t be afraid to rotate out your cushion covers, repaint your coffee table, or slap some varnish on your wooden chairs. Some good old fashioned elbow-grease never hurt anyone, and they’ll look good as new!
TIP FOUR
Every little helps
There are many small yet meaningful changes you can make when it comes to decorating sustainably. Here are a few of our favorites.
When it comes to choosing small decorative items, start by adding houseplants. Not only is green a soothing color, we probably need houseplants more than ever, as they are the perfect low commitment and green option that provides real health benefits. Learn more about easy houseplant care and their health benefits here.
If you’re going to paint your new pad, choose non-toxic paint. Whilst lead-based paints are no longer produced, low-level toxic emissions can be found in paints containing volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Check the labels – the environment will thank you later!
Candles are a firm favorite for fall, but you can do your bit by choosing conscious or handmade varieties. Wood or cotton wicks, and natural vegetable wax, like rapeseed or coconut oil are great toxin-free alternatives for the environment. Learn more about choosing eco-friendly candles in this helpful article by the Make it last Network.
Sustainable Home Decor – The Final Word
The key takeaway for creating and choosing sustainable home decor is to reuse and revamp where you can, and in those cases where you feel compelled to buy, do your research and choose your pieces wisely, such as selecting sentimental and meaningful items to cherish for a lifetime, or good quality vintage and locally made sustainable decor.
Whether you’re readorning your walls from scratch, or switching up some of your accessories, try any of these four tips for creating more sustainable home decor this fall.
They will assist making your house extra eco-friendly, and are ideal to strive out this autumn as you start to redesign your home for the season.
